Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman has apologised for recent comments on women in Iran, stating she was relaying the views of attendees at a pro-Iran conference rather than expressing her own opinions.
She also suggested that Australians were exposed to “propaganda” about Iran.
“The incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce, to ensure that they have a voice,” Payman said.
Payman said there were “realities that we’re not privy to living here and listening to the propaganda that we receive from very single-sided organisations with a specific agenda.”
Payman’s family moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan and finally to Australia to flee the Taliban.
Her comments received immediate backlash from human rights advocates both in Australia and abroad, who noted Iran’s documented record of abuse against women.
One of those women was Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who went to Iran to attend an academic conference but was later detained for more than 800 days because her partner at the time, a Russian-born Australian citizen, held an Israeli passport.
On Feb. 27, Payman released a statement apologising for her comments made at the Benevolent Iranian Women’s Association event.
“At the event, I listened to Australian Iranian women share their personal experiences, describing life in Iran in positive terms,” she said.
“When a journalist from Press TV later asked about the conversations I had at the event, I made comments that reflected what women had shared with me, not my own personal opinion.
“I had no knowledge of Press TV and their political affiliations.”
Payman acknowledged that some women have had different lived experiences.
“I recognise that my comments did not reflect the realities of women who have suffered violence, brutality, and severe human rights abuses,” she said.
“My intention was never to downplay or minimise their pain. If my words caused hurt, I sincerely apologise.”
Women’s Rights in Iran
Under Islamic sharia law, Iran has a strict dress code for women—they must wear head coverings and long, loose-fitting clothing.In 2024, Human Rights Watch noted Iran had introduced new restrictions and punishments on women over what they wear.
Under the new law, women who did not conform to strict standards could face fines, longer prison sentences, and restrictions on employment and education.
The law also introduced stricter penalties for activism against the hijab.
Clothing deemed “socially considered” to nudity attracts the same penalty as nudity or partial nudity—a potential 10-year prison term.
